The Xbox 360 ("three-sixty"), known during development as the Xenon, Xbox 2, Xbox Next or Nextbox, is the successor to Microsoft's Xbox video game console. Microsoft officially unveiled it on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information divulged later that month at the prominent Electronic Entertainment Expo. Upon its release on November 22, 2005 in North America, December 2 in Europe, and December 10 in Japan and Mexico, the Xbox 360 became the first console to have a simultaneous launch across the three major regions. It also serves as the first entrant in a new generation of game consoles and will compete against Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii.

Retail configurations and pricing

---

Microsoft's current retail strategy involves two different configurations of the Xbox 360 in most countries: the Xbox 360 SKU, frequently referred to as the Xbox 360 Premium Package; and an Xbox 360 Core System SKU. At launch, the Xbox 360 was priced at USD $399. The Core System is not available in Japan, instead Microsoft offers a package identical to the Xbox 360 SKU for JPN ¥37,900. Japanese pricing of the console has drawn some criticism, as customers there are able to purchase the Xbox 360 small package, albeit one region-coded for Japan, for a lower price than in other countries. Additionally in Australia and New Zealand the Xbox Live headset in the Xbox 360 Premium Package was not included . The cost in the UK has been set at GBP £219 for Core, GBP £279 Premium.

BusinessWeek magazine compiled a report that estimates the total cost of components in the "premium" bundle at $525 USD, sans manufacturing costs, meaning that Microsoft is losing money on every Xbox 360 system sold (in the United States, at least). It should be noted that the strategy of selling a console at a loss or near-loss is common in the console games industry, as console makers can usually expect to make up the loss through game licensing. Furthermore, since Microsoft owns the intellectual property rights to the hardware used in the Xbox 360, they can easily switch to new fabrication processes or change suppliers in the future in order to reduce manufacturing costs. This flexibility stands in contrast to the situation faced with the original Xbox, which contained a processor from Intel (a slightly modified Pentium III) and a GPU from NVidia (a modified GeForce 3). Because of the added expense of these chips and the inclusion of a hard drive component, Microsoft was never able to reduce Xbox manufacturing costs below the break-even point. As a result Microsoft's home entertainment division posted a loss through nearly every quarter of the console's lifecycle, including a loss of US$ 38 million during Microsoft's 2005 Q3, at the Xbox 360 launching. Microsoft is predicting that with the Xbox 360, a greater market share and falling hardware costs will eventually make system sales profitable.

More on [ Xbox 360 ]

Xbox 360 - Twitter Search

Facebook, Twitter, and Last.fm are coming to the xbox 360. I won't use the social networking on my console but last.fm is nice i suppose...
pyrobane (Michael Boyd) Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:46:12 -0000
Facebook, Twitter, and Last.fm are coming to the xbox 360. I won't use the social networking on my console but last.fm is nice i suppose...
Xbox 360 Wireless N Adapter Price, Date Confirmed...http://p.gs/7rzke
pulliout (jake) Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:45:32 -0000
Xbox 360 Wireless N Adapter Price, Date Confirmed...http://p.gs/7rzke
What do you think of my Microsoft Xbox 360 Console solution on FixYa? Please rate! http://bit.ly/4lPXik
WiredExtreme (Wired Extreme) Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:44:16 -0000
What do you think of my Microsoft Xbox 360 Console solution on FixYa? Please rate! http://bit.ly/4lPXik
RT @jessedarko: Does anyone want to buy an in-perfect-condition 20GB Xbox 360 Pro from me?One wireless controller. I'm asking $120 OBO
davesacre (dave webber) Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:44:09 -0000
RT @jessedarko: Does anyone want to buy an in-perfect-condition 20GB Xbox 360 Pro from me?One wireless controller. I'm asking $120 OBO
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3 / Xbox 360) + $20 Store Credit $59.99 (amazon.com) http://bit.ly/4ANnVU
flying_deals (Travel Deals) Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:43:47 -0000
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3 / Xbox 360) + $20 Store Credit $59.99 (amazon.com) http://bit.ly/4ANnVU
Fight Night: Round 4 for Xbox 360 or PS3 for $29 + free shipping http://bit.ly/4xg2LX
flying_deals (Travel Deals) Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:43:46 -0000
Fight Night: Round 4 for Xbox 360 or PS3 for $29 + free shipping http://bit.ly/4xg2LX

Subscribe to Xbox_360 RSS feed